Panthers hope to come back for more

A 44-9 beating from Hawaii last night isn't going to stop Eastern Illinois from coming back to Aloha Stadium to play the Warriors if the chance presents itself.

The Panthers have been here three times in the last eight seasons and have lost all three games, including the last two by wide margins.

Do they benefit?

"I like to look at the positives," acting head coach Mark Hutson said. "We don't like the result. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a lot of these guys. They get to see the culture of Hawaii. And game-wise, the majority of our players got to play a lot, and that kind of game experience will help us.

"It helps from a recruiting standpoint, too, helping bring in players who know we could be going to Hawaii. The positives, by far, outweigh the negatives. I'd love to take six more trips to Hawaii."

The Division I-AA Panthers (2-3, 1-0) are defending Ohio Valley Conference champions, and they return to league play next weekend at home against Southeast Missouri State. Playing I-A Hawaii to get ready for more conference battles can't hurt.

"Yes, this was a great opportunity," running back Vincent Webb said. "I think it really did help us to play against a good team that has two close losses against two ranked teams. I think it helps to play against a bigger Division I team like Hawaii, and when we play against teams at our level, we'll be a step ahead."

Hutson wasn't particularly pleased with any part of the Panthers' game. Webb ran for 119 yards and backup Ademola Adeniji gained 84 yards, mostly in the second half with mostly backups playing on both sides.

In addition, EIU's defensive pass rush -- led by 6-foot-5 sophomore Pierre Walters -- had some success in penetrating Hawaii's offensive line in the first half with two sacks. But the two UH quarterbacks still completed 35 of 51 passes for 529 yards and five touchdowns.

"I thought the defensive line put in a great effort," Hutson said. "They closed in, but weren't able to finish. You've got to credit the quarterback for escaping the grasp and the offensive linemen who kept their feet moving and did an excellent job of protecting the quarterback."

Still, Hutson made the obvious even clearer: "They moved the football downfield on us at will. By halftime, the game was already out of hand. When you play up a level, especially a quality team coached by June Jones, you have to get some breaks. We didn't really get those."

Hutson was extremely happy about one thing, though, and not every coach who leaves Aloha Stadium after playing the Warriors can say it:

"Our players played the game with a great attitude, a great effort and they played with passion."